Obscure Awakenings
by Denfall
Summary: She held it in her hands, the shattered pieces melding together before her eyes in a brilliant light. She could hear his voice in the back of her head, chanting her name and beckoning...father, what have I done?  Non-canon character and story.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** Characters and content are the property of their respective owners and Frictional Games. I don't hold any copyright about displayed content unless it is my own. All ideas and concepts based on interactions in Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Feel free to comment and review, but please only do so constructively. Please no grammar or spelling corrections!_

Thunder; the crackling sound rang in her delicate ears and coalesced with the rain that fell in trickles against the stone floor around her lithe form through the cracks of the broken ceiling above her. The cold air swept across her face brushing a few stray curls to tickle her cheeks. Her red hair was splayed around her head, spilled from the confines of its usual bun so that it appeared as liquid beneath her skull.

The breeze drew the rain toward her pale features, the droplets of water tracing her chin as she stirred. Her brows furrowed, eyes forcing themselves open as her vision blurred in front of her. Her fingers flexed, feeling the cobblestone beneath her stabilize from her disorientation. Her other arm was trapped under her stomach, fingers curling into the fabric of the gown she wore as she lay there quietly trying to regain her senses. Her head was pounding, the pain making the ringing in her ears worse while the flash of lightning only halted her clearing sight.

With a determined demeanor, her body twisted as she attempted to lift herself up, placing her arms under her torso to lift her onto her knees. Her clothing was heavy with the many layers of embroidered material tacked beneath the bodice of her dress. A few blinks of her eyes unclouded her vision, leaving her to stare at the dark green rug that covered the length of the hall. Her head was fogged, her perception clouded as she rose onto her trembling legs.

The corridor was dimly light by the flicker of lightning that accompanied the drum of thunder outside the shattered walls, brightening her view momentarily of the rubble that surrounded her. Candles gave off a dreary glow against the dark stone, holding on to what little life their flames had left as they hung across the wall in careful arrangements.

Her eyes shut once more; hands lifting to gently touch her eyelids with her fingertips as the ache in her head slowly subsided, leaving her able to finally consider her own well being. She felt no other discomfort except the lack of knowledge of what had happened and why she was in such a place that seemed unrecognizable. After a moment of recollection, she turned her gaze across the walls in examination of her current whereabouts.

The walls were barren, save for the candelabras that offered little illumination. They were heavy stone with two carved archways on either side. The floor was covered in that viridian carpet, though with an unhampered view she could see the careful stitching of gold and silver around its edges that traveled into the center in the creation what appeared to be a dragon unlike any she'd seen before.

Slowly, she turned her body to glimpse behind her, catching view of the broken wall at her back; half of the stones were missing as if they had become loose and fallen with age. The rain cascaded down and puddled on the floor, dribbling through a small opening near the edge bottom of the rampart. Spinning further, she could see the crumbled doorway which she assumed she had proceeded through before fainting.

Fainting? Had she truly fainted? What had initially caused her to travel to such a place? The old walls, which she presumed were of a castle or keep, offered no help and though she felt the waking of fear in a chill down her spine, there was no other choice than to travel further into the keep. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth, chewed lightly in anxiety before she took that first step forward.

The click of her own heels startled her at first, her nerves strained as the sound echoed through the foyer. She paused, waiting until silence filled her ears once more like a dull drone. A soft breath escaped her parted lips, her hands relaxing from the fists she hadn't even been aware she had tightened her fingers in to.

A creaking noise brought her attention to the wall at her left, the sound behind it a soft scuffling as if someone turned to run. She leaned against the wall, looking for a small hole to peek through, though the stones were sealed tight with no hope of letting her peer into the neighboring room. Without thought, she called out.

Her voice was loud in her ears, traveling through the vestibule with booming reverberation before it seemed to escape through the passageway. There was no response and suddenly she was glad of it. Whoever roamed the halls beside her was neither distinguishably good nor bad.

Slowly, she lifted from the stones and took another careful step forward, hands moving to lift her skirts so that her legs could move more freely without the difficulty of kicking the heavy pinafore. The two archways ahead of her were promising, though the one to the right proved useless as it was covered with the remnants of the previous hallway that had stood. The debris had rolled out of the portal, leaving loose stones across the floor at her feet.

Given her only choice of moving forward, she strode through the left archway into yet another passageway that groaned deeply with the passing wind. The thunder beyond the wall was dulled in sound, leaving only the swift beat of her heart to hammer in her ears. The doors of the hallway were slightly ajar, giving her brief glances of the three rooms that were tucked to the side. A study that held no more than a desk and chair, a storage room with shelves that held candle sticks, parchment, and various writing instruments along with a suit of armor tucked into the corner.

The third door was across from the descent of stairs that held an upward draft toward her, bringing with it the scent of cinnamon. And though she had meant to move toward the steps, her body seemed to turn on its own accord to face the wooden postern. Her jaw tightened, breath caught in her throat as her hand rose to touch her fingertips against the cold surface. Leaning forward pushed the door open with her weight.

The urge to run toward the stairs was strong, yet she could not force herself to turn in view of the exit. The room that was unveiled before her was another study, though decorated with a bookshelf against each askew wall. In the center sat a small desk painted in red and gold with a matching chair settled behind it. Her eyes were drawn toward the papers on the surface; her feet carrying her forward without her realization until she was close enough to read the words written.

_Ashelynne Eike Nuar Din'Veran Del'Orn III_

_A name I have not fully used in quite some time. It is a title more than something to be recognized by. A thing people address me with to not let me forget the terrors my father plagued upon me and my family. If not for him, mother would have never-_

_I find myself in need of something to do in order to keep my mind at ease. My father is not the hero they believe him, though they think me to merely be a jealous child, angry and destitute of a female role model. I need no woman to tell me how I am to act and live out my life. I will make it myself and there is little to nothing anyone can teach me._

_I must not forget myself. I cannot let myself be drawn into his darkened ways. He raises a son when he has a daughter, one who would know her place among the people and would rule with justice and fairness. He does not understand what he has placed upon the other's head._

_I will speak with him. He will understand. He must._

Her hand pulled back, brought to her chest as she felt her pulse rise in her throat. The name felt familiar. Not because she knew it…but because it was her own name. She had written this letter, left it here but for what purpose? Perhaps she had forgotten it on this desk, though she could not remember writing it. Then it struck her.

She couldn't remember anything.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:** Characters and content are the property of their respective owners and Frictional Games. I don't hold any copyright about displayed content unless it is my own. All ideas and concepts based on interactions in Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Feel free to comment and review, but please only do so constructively. Please no grammar or spelling corrections!_

Her heels clicked as she took a couple steps back, only stopping when she felt the hard stone wall against her back. The masonry groaned, the air becoming heavy before there was a brief moment where the area stood still and silent. The room shook violently in a sudden quake, a loud smashing sound causing her to jump and release a cry of terror. She was lost in her own horror before she was able to push forward off the wall and made a dash toward the doorway. Another burst of sound and she screamed, swinging around the door then slamming it shut behind her.

She leaned against the wooden surface, panting heavily before releasing a sob. The panic she'd felt made her heart race, the drone in her ears only louder until she heard her own weeping. Her hands clapped over her lips, muffing her sounds while her body sank to the floor in a heap of quivering muscle. The young woman forced herself to breathe, taking in deep breaths that hurt her chest as it expanded with the fill of cold, stale air.

She sat against the door for what felt like an hour, though only minutes had passed as she finally dropped her hands into her lap. The sweat that had beaded on her forehead trickled down the side of her face, tracing the curve of her cheek with the cool trail of liquid. Her eyes lifted, seeing the flight of steps ahead of her. The scent of cinnamon filled her senses; a calm smell that distracted from the previous event in the room behind her.

Carefully, the young woman lifted to her feet, moving her hands to gather her skirts and raise them so that she could step freely once more. The tapping of her heels against the hard floor offered the only comfort of noise as she moved down each step hesitantly, her arms still shaking from the room behind her. Then overwhelming aroma of spice started to dissipate, leaving her to stare aimlessly down the new hallway.

The walls were no longer empty, but were now decorated with hanging tapestries that had seen better days. Their ends were frayed, the moisture of the castle's stagnant air discoloring the once vibrant shades of green and silver in the fabric. Designs of Coat of Arms were still visible; the simple sword horizontally crossed behind a large shield caught her attention. She let her ruffled skirts fall free around her feet, a hand raising in hopes of dusting off the object to better recognize the tattered emblem.

The center of the shield was embroidered with an elaborate D, familiar to the woman as she stood still for a few moments longer in deep thought. Her hand smoothed over the soft, damp arras while she felt a small amount of peace creep into her mind. The air was warming, the tension that tightened her muscles started to ease until a crisp wind brushed over her body. Her crimson hair was tossed across her back, a moaning sound coming from down the hall.

The woman turned her head, eyes meeting the darkness of the hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly before her. The peace she had felt was replaced with a mix of curiosity and alert. She turned away from the wall, slowly stepping forward to follow the noise while her eyes attempted to ignore the doorways that taunted her. They were all closed, a silent prayer of thanks looping through her head for each wooden barrier that kept her peripheral vision safe. The sound met her ears once more, a heavy thud following in the metre of footsteps.

The hair on the back of her neck rose once more, her intuition causing her to turn toward the nearest door at her right and pull at the doorstep. Whatever was coming near growled, a dark noise that make her actions fumble. The postern was jammed, unforgiving in her attempts to break through it with a few kicks from the flat bottoms of her heels. She turned to the egress behind her, hand grappling the handle before she found it turning beneath her palm. She praised it briefly before throwing the door open, stepping through in time to hear the shrill cry of whatever had been coming her way. She slammed it shut, pressing her back to it as if to bar it against entry.

Her own breath caught in her throat, held as she hoped whatever was standing there would continue on it's way. A moment of silence gave her fleeting hope, but the door then violently shook against her. Whatever it was, it wanted in.

She shut her eyes tightly, whimpering as she felt the item shudder under the fierce effort of the being on the other side. The creature let out a guttural cry, the woman flinging herself forward as she spun around in hopes of finding something to hide beneath, behind, or...inside. A small closet leaned against the wall to her left, a door slightly ajar as if beckoning her inside.

The timber of the door splintered, a glance back toward it revealed two hardened claws scraping back through the breach they had created. She covered her mouth, muffling a high-pitched scream that escaped her before turning back toward the cupboard. She pulled the door open, stepping inside as it shook slightly beneath her weight, a brook brushing at her ankle as she tugged the hatch shut behind her. She huddled against the back wall, trying her best to suppress her quivering.

A loud crashing echoed in the room, her eyes closing as she knew whatever had been fighting for a way in had one. Heavy breathing entered the area, the only way she knew to describe it to herself was wheezing gasps as if the thing could not breathe properly. It growled, though somehow the sound led her to believe it was calming from its previous state of excitement; like an animal that had sated its need to release tension. The heavy steps neared the cabinet, her body rigid in apprehension until it started to move away. The steps grew fainter in sound, until she could no longer hear them echoing.

She remained stiff, hand covering her nose as she let out a soft breath before daring to release the hot hair from her lungs. It was almost painful to breath, a choked whine slipping between her fingers. Her hands lowered, carefully pushing at the door to nudge it open enough to let the dim light shine in on her face. The room was empty, the broken aperture lay on the floor broken into three pieces. The air was heavy with moisture, the scent of something rotten hanging in the air.

Quietly, the woman pushed the door open more to allow herself room to crawl out of her hiding place. As she came to her feet, she stayed still for a moment to listen for any further sounds of the creature being nearby. The silence blessed her, only the sound of her own breathing met her ears. She took a step toward the door, only to forget to re-brace the broom that had be her companion in the closet. The broom pushed the door open further to fall to the floor with a sharp bang, echoing its arrival on the floor through the corridors. She jumped, spinning around to stare at the object before looking back toward the entryway.

No sound of stirring was made evident to her and, after a long minute of consideration, she moved forward to exit the room. Her hand curled around the edge of the archway, torso leaning out to peer to the left of the passage before glancing to the right. She was greeted with a dark emptiness that once again seemed eternal.


End file.
